My daily quest for One Beautiful Thing (OBT)

Eye in the Sky

Dronestagram has released their nominees for the best drone photos of 2017, and they’re every bit as glorious and surprising as you’d imagine.

I’m never sure how to feel about camera drones. They turn up periodically in Fire Island, and my first impulse (which I ignore) is to throw things at them until they fall out of the sky. They make me wish I carried a gun. I am troubled by their anonymity, but judging by these beautiful photographs, I can’t fault their vantage point.

However you feel about them, they certainly produce some eye-popping images we wouldn’t ever see otherwise.

You can check out all the nominees on Dronestagram’s blog. Photo credits appear under each picture.

Drones have liberated photography. To get some of these shots before required chartering a very noisy helicopter or plane. Now, some less well heeled photo enthusiasts can try and get some new and interesting shots. I am sorely tempted to get one just get a view of my own roof.

Wouldn’t Google Earth do that for you? I’ve considered getting one to look around the islands in Jamaica Bay when I get home. Finally decided against it. I suspect drones would disturb the osprey families.

Google earth would give me a static photo. I don’t know how often it is updated.
I do think there is potential to disturb animals and maybe even bees and butterfly migrations. I don’t know for sure.
I decided against it because it would just be another toy that I would get excited about at first and then ultimately wouldn’t use very often.

The images are fabulous and the bird’s eye view justifies the use of drones in each case. I am generally not a fan of them, however, and cannot quite put my finger on why. The first time I encountered one (at Stirling Castle) I felt harassed by it as it was buzzing just above my head so perhaps that first impression has clouded my attitude.